They offered seating for up to seven, with the sure-footed traction of all-wheel drive. Like Ray’s, many of these wagons featured five-speed manual transmissions, from a time when people weren’t incapable of shifting gears themselves.

They were economical, fun little vehicles that served a lot of drivers very well over the years, until insidious rust found its way between the panels.

Tommy’s car is a lot more along the lines of what you might call a “classic,” a 1952 MG TD.

It’s in fairly decent shape, and it has been known to run a few times. There’s a photo of it in action on Car Talk’s website.

I love the Massachusetts plate:

I also love how it seems to have leaked a profuse amount of gear oil on Ray’s car, which is stored right below it, awaiting a full restoration.

2 Responses to Car Talk’s Clunkers

That’s not oil…it’s preservative. The British have never been properly honored for their brilliant design contribution to metal preservation, or its clever side-effect of keeping roads properly misted to keep the dust down.